Apparatus for abrasive treatment of articles



Nov. 29, 1955 w. M. ODDIE 2,724,930

APPARATUS FOR ABRASIVE TREATMENT OF ARTICLES Filed July 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor A Horney s Nov. 29, 1955 w. M. ODDIE 2,724,930

APPARATUS FOR ABRASIVE TREATMENT OF ARTICLES Filed July 50, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor MM r QGFZ ttorneys United States Patent APPARATUS FOR ABRASIVE TREATMENT OF ARTICLES William M. Oddie, Cossett, England Application July 30, 1953, Serial No. 371,274

6 Claims. (Cl. 51-13) This invention relates to abrasive treatment of metallic or other articles, especially for cleaning, polishing, hardening or otherwise treating the surfaces of castings, forgings and other metallic objects.

In cleaning, polishing, hardening or otherwise treating the surfaces of metallic castings, forgings and similar articles it is desirable to turn or otherwise manipulate them whilst they are in, or passing through the abrasive stream in such a manner that all surfaces will be uniformly exposed and treated. It is therefore the practice to expose the surface of the articles to the abrasive stream while the articles are turned or tumbled in a tumbling barrel or similar device.

In continuous processes. articles have been transported through an abrasive stream on a flexible conveyor element arranged to form a supporting surface or trough for the articles. To provide the continuity of processing, the flexible conveyor element has been inclined or provided with means whereby the articles supported thereon are advanced along the trough concurrently with their tumbling movement, the articles being deposited on the raised end of the trough forming portion and removed at the lower end thereof when the treating action has been completed. In such apparatus it is not unknown for articles to jump and bounce from the feed point to the discharge point so that their rate of progress through the machine is too rapid and the result is a lack of uniformity in the quality of the treated articles.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a new or improved method of and means for the abrasive treatment of articles, which will enable continuously fed batches of articles to be treated and the duration of treatment controlled thereby ensuring every article may get equal treatment.

A further object is to provide a machine for abrasive treatment of articles in which the abrasive stream can be readily interrupted at desired intervals in the process cycle so that the batch of articles after treatment can be tumbled to remove the abrasive material from the articles.

According to the invention the articles to be treated are fed onto a conveyor element, which takes them to the tumbling position where they are subjected to the abrasive stream and from the tumbling position, the conveyor element then takes the treated articles to the delivery or discharge point. The conveyor element will be continuously running in a constant direction and the path taken by the articles is in line with the direction of travel of the conveyor element. Thus there are three substantially in line stages in the run of the conveyor, a loading point for the batch of articles, a tumbling point and a discharge point.

The tumbling point may be provided by a step or rise in the conveyor of sufiicient depth or incline to prevent the articles riding up said step or rise and whilst the articles are at this point they are subjected to tumbling and to the abrasive stream. The conveyor element which may be-of any suitable type will be provided with a pusher, which removes the treated batch of articles from the tumbling point to the discharge point and said pusher may also control the delivery of a batch of articles onto the conveyor element.

The stream of abrasive material may be actuated by any suitable means such as a rotating impellor, compressed air jet or the like.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be more fully described with reference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein: V

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figures 2 to 5 are diagrammatic series showing the various stages of operation and treatment.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises an endless conveyor 1 which is driven by means of suitable rollers 2, 3 and idlers 4, 5 and 6 in a constant direction. The conveyor 1 has a substantially horizontal run at 7 from a feeding point 8 to a tumbling point 9 which is constituted by the conveyor running substantially vertically to run over a roller or idler 4 along a short high level substantially horizontal run 10 to the delivery point 11. At the tumbling point 9 the conveyor passes between and around one or more pairs of discs 12, which constitute the tumbling drum into which the abrasive stream indicated at 13 is projected from an electrically driven impellor unit consisting of an electric motor 14 which drives a centrifugal abrasive-throwing wheel 15 fed with abrasive from a controlled chute 16 and hopper 17.

Secured to the conveyor is a pusher element or elements 18 one being shown, which travels with the conveyor and at every cycle passes through the tumbling drum 12 and carries the treated articles 19 along to the discharge point. The pusher 18 may be arranged to operate a release catch 20 normally holding the batch feed tipping hopper 21, so that once every cycle a batch of articles 19 to be treated is deposited from the feed tipping hopper 21 onto the conveyor 1 at a point behind the pusher element 18,- so that a fresh batch automatically enters the tumbling point 9 after the pusher element 18 has removed the treated articles 19. The fresh batch remaining in the tumbling point 9 until the pusher 18 completes the cycle. If desired other means or devices may be used for releasing the catch of the batch fee tipping hopper.

The feed of abrasive material to the impeller unit 15 may be stopped by mechanical or electric action during the period of removal of the treated batch. If desired the stopping of the abrasive material may be commenced when the pusher 18 actuates the release catch 20 of the feed hopper 21 so that during the interval of time taken for the pusher 18 to pass from the feed point 8 to the tumbling point 9, the treated articles may be rumbled, i. e. tumbled without being under the action of the abrasive stream, so that the bulk ofabrasive material is removed from the articles. In this connection in order to further ensure the treated articles are relatively free from abrasive material, they may be delivered on to a vibrating screen or the like 22 when they leave the conveyor.

The batch hopper 21 may collect articles either from a delivery conveyor (not shown) or from a chute 23 or other feeding medium and said batch hopper will be pivotally mounted at 24 and weighted at 25 so that after delivery of a batch on to the conveyor 1 of the apparatus, it returns to its normal position in which it is held by the release catch 20.

By controlling the supply of abrasive material to the apzgoeo .3 mpe e isuno nnecessa y step the ritrrelle esiurin operation of the machine.

The apparatus will be suitably encased at 26 and *noremahrnean s adop t ri-co l c gran p e e i t e cap o :th ahra ivema ri l duringnopera p -r w vey r Lbetw e the tumbling; point land/del very Point. ,1 w pas nthmughr .protec e rscr ensrfl such-J as ru er. c rtains -,-,w hci lrrpreven :the. escape-of the; abrasive material and the material removed at the, yibratingscreens willpbe returned to the; interior of the apparatus by meansof a; snitable; collection device-28L situated below the screen 22.

,{Ihe used; abrasive; material will be collected in the ba QhQPP J an zuifii mfi 1u th x- IJtIDIE 'sfiQB ch -1.1

The W9 o ropsratie sr huwrri iigur s r. t r4, :.is nfQI OW Fi u ,=.,S E W uha-tt r 19 b g-trea and the pu h i bo ttq e e eth a shz t r. aiturthe bat b d ie ath r;c nreyon 1m Fi u 3, the catch 20 h heenrm ease eandtheba h '1 2d po i e yon th onv yo :A the we t m the-abras t am. ha be IPP Wi z1 h t a a c being i tumbled. Figure, 4 shows the -treated batch bein g rem v d, by th p sh e nm 18;. an e zire -vbe c in positionqwhilst; Figure shows thet; ated, batch n d v r .f mt o vey r. Lea t e f es batch undfir-ihe, action of the abrasive stream which; continues unt l the, p s r ment 18 t eve rq nd-tm theeed n I point}.

A-Itsvwill be seen that;a substantially; eontinuous treatmen bat he p ar ic s qh r sdrb '.m a s-ratta apparatus which is adaptedtor in -line production inasmuch :as the 1 articles are travelling t orwardjrhrpughout t e ha li g y th p tu I claim:

a .App. ra ns f b s y r t n me l: artic es-3 eluding meansforprojecting a stream pf. abrasive particles,., an endlessconveyor elementhaying afieedpoint, a tumbling vpoint and. a ,delivery p inL -rneans ion driying saidtconveyonin a constant direction, means for suspending saidconveyor; element to provide an upwardly eoncave ppor h ey b i arran pqt advance thearticles in a linear direction frorn the feed point, through the tumbling point to the .deliver in-line, with thepdirection of travel of the ,conye k ment, .means, bei ng provided.- at .the ..feeding K o int for feedingrarticles to be treatedion; to the conveyo means associated with the, conveyorv element arranged to control the. operation. of;. said, means for fee ding rticles to be,trea ted on, to; the conveyor 5 element, n eansq being provided associated with the conveyor elementtor stopping theprojection ofithe stneamtot abrasiye particles.

vApparat o rahra s yi rea i imet lia iel s cluding means for projecting a. stream ;of ab rasive artic e afl simpr vem t h vin a te -sperm a. tumbling point and a delivery pointgl rneans fo driving said conveyor in; a constant direction lmea nsg for suspending said conveyor element to proyide an up vvardly o a suppor th nvey e eme b r n e v n it e a t cl s. a lin d rgtion' tmflth feed point-through the tumbling point to the delivery point in-line with the directionof travel of the, conveyor element, means being provided on said conveyor element to--remove--thearticles frorn-the tumbling point, means being-provided-atthefeeding point for feedingarticles to -be--treatedonto the conveyor element, means asso ciated with the conveyor element arranged to cor tro1 t he operation'of said-mean-stor feeding articles to be treated on to the conveyor elen1ent,- means being providedassociatedwith-the conveyorelement for stopping the pro jection of-thestream-of abrasive particles.

3. Apparatus forabrasivelytreating metal articles: includingrneans for-projecting a stream of abrasive particles, an endless conveyor element havinga feed. point, a rtumbling point and a delivery point, means for driv- A l rlix ing sai senysyo scastantimttiq aleaasu p suspending said conveyor element to provide an upwardly concave support, the conveyor element being arranged to advance the articles in a linear direction from the feed point through the tumbling point to the delivery point in-line with the direction of travel of the conveyor element, means being provided on said conveyor element to remove the articles :frormihe tumbling point, said means comprising am p usher element rnount ed on the conveyor e'lernerit, me nsbeing proyided at"the feeding point for feeding articles tobetreated on to the conveyor element, means-associated wither-the; conveyor element arranged to, control the ,opera tion of said means for feeding articles to be treated on to the conveyor'element, means being provided. a ssociated witmthe conveyor element for stopping the projection of the stream of abrasive particles.

4. Apparatus for abrasively treating metal articles including means for projecting a stream of abrasive particles, an endless conveyor element having. a feed r. point, a-turnb1ingpoint. and a deliveryrrpoint, means fondriving said conveyor in a-constant'direction means-tor suspending said conveyor element to provideanupwardly concaye-support, "the conveyor element beingtarranged to advance 'the articles infa linear-direction frorn the feed pointxthrough the tumbling point to thedelivery point-inline withthe direction of travel of the conveyor element, means being provided on said conveyor eleme'nt to'remove the" articles from the tumbling point/ said means comprising a pusher-element 'rnou'nte'd onj the conveyor element, means being provided at the fee dingpoint for feeding articles to be treated on to'the conveyor element, r l l ntb in s ta i si f qat t @P r tion of said means for feeding "articles to be treated oii to the. conveyor element, wherein said 1 rneansgfior; teeding articles to be treated on, to the" conveyor el' ment coni s P tjbaw i sd t i h p alqqki pa di lease catch onlsaid hopper being arranged to be 'reieased by thepusherel'ernent.

5, Apparatus tor abrasivelytreating, n etal. a r ticlesin- .cludifi. a si n rr qti s eam-1 a sii d nd e s-l e a d fia h a feedin nt, -t mb t epai l smiard fl re y warmers t ar i sa nr -i nr 99 te ts s tie i mea -5 m P nd neisa qgnyeygor @1 e tQt-Pmvridwwli wi concave support, the conve or element b ing arr nged to advancethe ar ticlesin rolrl the feed point throu ghlth i e g V t, the deliyery poiint ;t ire n t a l bs er a-rl (poi for feedin g lar tiele's to be treated fon to h conveyor g m t-s d Pu h r el me i r n e n t tt operation .of said means, for feedinglarticles to 5 be. treat ed mounted one on each side' ofthe conveyor elernent at the tnmblingpoint eonstitute vyith. ,the, SOuveyor. element therebetween a tumblingfldrurnI -;APP Ia r, rasiye yl treati me l mea f reseen b ii t s. n e e s rrar r bee b rri a m mb ng P i earl. es r i s rr i r ea s F. P sa d-sqnvey rt n aioas antdi sst ni mea st r si ren n zea i onvey r; leme 19 r t ri e n ilpwa si vt m c eisupportnthe onv yonelement .beingtarrangedrtq advance the articlesin a. linear. direction frorn the feedv point through the tumbling point. to the delivery "point iii-line with the direction of travel of the conveyor elernent,

means being providedon rsaidconveyor 'element to-remove the articles 7 from the .r tumbling point, said rrieans comprising a pusher; element mounted on t heic'o'riv'eyor element; means being proxided at the feeding'point for 1k r e- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,332,251 Parrish Oct. 19, 1943 6 Mott Sept. 5, 1944 Price Apr. 22, 1952 Vander Wal Jan. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 13, 1939 Germany Mar. 10, 1931 

